200 millions tablets shipped since 2009, with over 1 billion more forecast by 2018

Here’s some more statistics for you number crunchers. ABI Research has done the math and estimates that nearly 200 million tablets have shipped out across the world between 2009 and 2012. They’ve also made the bold, but believable, prediction that an additional 1 billion tablets will ship out over the next 5 years.

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ABI discovered that 22% of all tablet owners regularly spend $50 or more each month on transactions through tablets, and 9% spend $100 or more a month on various goods. The research suggests that people are much more confident about making financial transactions on their tablets than they are on their smartphones, where users typically spend considerably less money.

However, this online spending hasn’t had a major impact on high street retailers. Contrary to the popular belief that consumers are increasingly browsing in store but shopping online for a cheaper deal, the research company found that retail stores are still maintaining their share of physical sales. Interestingly, the research also found that tablets are increasingly being used in conjunction with media sources such as TV, magazines and newspapers, rather than totally wiping them out.

Do you think that ABI Reseach’s findings are accurate, or are you consuming more of your media and purchases online rather than using the old physical methods?